Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council via video link at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia March 24, 2022. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS/File Photo
WASHINGTON – Russian President Vladimir Putin has been misled by advisers too scared to tell him how bad the war is going in Ukraine and how damaging Western sanctions have been, the White House and European officials have said officials on Wednesday.
Russia’s invasion of its southern neighbor on February 24 was halted on many fronts by fierce resistance from Ukrainian forces, who have retaken territory despite trapping civilians in besieged towns.
“We have information that Putin felt misled by the Russian military, which has created ongoing tensions between Putin and his military leadership,” Kate Bedingfield, White House communications director, told reporters during a news briefing.
“We believe that Putin is being misinformed by his advisers about how poorly the Russian military is performing and how sanctions are crippling the Russian economy because his senior advisers are too afraid to tell him the truth,” she said.
The US has now presented this information to show “that this was a strategic mistake for Russia,” she said.
The Kremlin did not immediately comment on the claims after hours in Moscow, and the Russian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Washington’s decision to share its information more publicly reflects a strategy it pursued before the war began. In that case, it could also complicate Putin’s calculations, a second US official said, adding: “It may be useful.”
A senior European diplomat said the US assessment is consistent with European thinking. “Putin thought things were going better than they were. That’s the problem when you surround yourself with yes-men or just sit with them at the end of a very long table,” the diplomat said.
Russian conscripts were told they were taking part in military exercises but had to sign a document expanding their duties before the invasion, two European diplomats said.
“They were misled, poorly educated, and then they arrived to find old Ukrainian women who looked like their grandmothers who were yelling at them to go home,” added one of the diplomats.
At the moment there is no indication that the situation could encourage a revolt among the Russian military, but the situation is “unpredictable” and the western powers “would hope that unfortunate people would speak out,” said the senior European diplomat.
Military analysts say Russia has reframed its war goals in Ukraine in a way that could make it easier for Putin to claim a face-saving victory despite a sad campaign in which his army has suffered humiliating setbacks. Continue reading
Russian forces bombed the outskirts of the capital Kyiv and the besieged city of Chernihiv in northern Ukraine on Wednesday, a day after Russia vowed to limit military operations in both cities, in what the West dismissed as a ruse to redeploy invaders who were suffering heavy casualties. Continue reading
Russia says it is conducting a “special operation” to disarm and “denazify” its neighbor. Western countries say Moscow launched an unprovoked invasion.
Reporting by Steve Holland and Andrea Shalal; writing by Doina Chiacu; Edited by Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Oatis